Navigating “Compassion Fatigue” as We Enter a New School Year
By: Tim Elmore I met with fourteen C-suite-level leaders recently. They were from different industries, different age groups, different genders; but they all had something in common. When I asked them if leading people was more difficult today than it was when they first became leaders, each responded affirmatively. “Absolutely!” said one. “One hundred and…
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The Comeback School: How to Be Ready When Classes Begin Again
By: Tim Elmore The news headlines were dramatic: Schools debate on whether to shut down or to stay open; students struggle with quarantine boundaries; children and teachers are expected to wear masks as infections continue to soar. Sound familiar? Did you know those headlines were from the Spanish Flu in 1918? Much like what happened…
Continue ReadingSharenting: Solving the Problem of Parents and Kids on Instagram
By: Tim Elmore It all started when April, Christine’s youngest daughter, was five years old. Christine knew April would be their family’s last baby and wanted to document each milestone and comical moment of her childhood. By the time she was ten, April was avoiding photo ops; shying away from the camera. By 13, when…
Continue ReadingThe Art of Drawing Commitment from Students
By: Tim Elmore Two senior leaders of university clubs spoke to me in August about the challenges they faced with their organizations. Both were recruiting prospective members from the students on campus, but both were disappointed. They couldn’t seem to keep committed members. The students either left because they had other options, or they just…
Continue ReadingRead Before You Lead: Why Every Thermostat Has a Thermometer
By: Tim Elmore In 1990, I began using a metaphor to teach students how they could earn the right to influence others. This metaphor has now become common language among educators: a thermometer and a thermostat. I found that while students are both simultaneously, they also tend to be more of one than the other…
Continue ReadingHelping Students Strike a Balance Between Inclusion and Diversity
By: Tim Elmore Did you hear how Columbia University handled their graduation ceremonies? No, I’m not referring to mask-wearing or social distancing. I’m talking about the administration’s decision to host six separate graduation ceremonies, based on the graduates’ income level, race, ethnicities, and gender preferences. My concern has nothing to do with the pandemic, as…
Continue ReadingHow to Help Students Become Objective Rather than Obsessive
By: Tim Elmore If you met Kayla, you wouldn’t know she was distraught. She smiles a lot. She dresses sharp. She makes A’s and B’s in school, and she’s got quite a following on Instagram. When I met her, I assumed she was on top of the world. I would’ve never predicted she was panicking…
Continue ReadingHow One Group of Student Leaders Found a Way to Manage Mental Health at Their School
By: Tim Elmore I recently spoke at the 2021 Cobb County Student Leadership Academy awards event. Students were present, often with their parents and teachers, to learn about leadership and be recognized for what they’d achieved beyond academics this year. Pope High School was one school that was highlighted. Student leaders at Pope had recognized…
Continue ReadingDigital Citizenship: Having The Right Conversation With Students
By: Tim Elmore The Supreme Court seems close to issuing a ruling in the case of a student who was kicked off her high school cheerleading team due to an obscene Snapchat post. Brandi Levy, a high school sophomore posted a message where she vents, “F— school, F— softball, F— cheer, F— everything!” Obviously, she’s…
Continue ReadingHow SEL Can Accelerate Maturity in Students
By: Tim Elmore One decade ago, I began to hypothesize about a trait I observed in high school and college students. I continued to be baffled by how much they knew yet how little they’d experienced. I researched the reasons for this and came up with a term, which became the title of a book:…
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